A contract to build a new crematorium in Penha, Faro, has been awarded by Faro council to Servilusa, which claims to be the largest and most modern funerary company in the country.

The council made the decision to award the project to Servilusa last week on Wednesday. It was made based on the proposal that the company submitted in public tender, which was described as “the most advantageous.”

Servilusa will be giving Faro council a monthly payment of €1,500 to occupy the land and seven per cent of revenue generated by the cremations. It will be the first crematorium in the Algarve; the second nearest being in Ferreira do Alentejo.

“Faro has put itself on the front line for this type of service, being the first city to offer it. On average, around 5,000 funerals are carried out in the Algarve every year and in recent years there has been a noted demand for cremations, which fully justifies the council’s decision”, a statement said, adding: “The Algarve now has an answer to meet the demand.”

Families will now be able to fulfil loved ones’ wishes without having to travel long distances, the statement concluded.

The project, according to the council, includes two cremation furnaces, to be installed on a floor that extends from the central building of the new cemetery.